29-year-old James Onwuso, a Lagos-based poultry farmer has been sentenced to 21 years imprisonment for printing fake Naira notes.
The resident of Sosanya street in Gbagada Lagos was arraigned by the Attorney- General of the Federation on a three count-charge bordering on false production of different denominations of naira, forgery of bank notes and possession of different counterfeit denominations of naira.
The prosecution led by Mrs. Kehinde Bode- Ayeni told the court that the offences were punishable under sections 1(1), 2 and 5(1) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act Cap C35, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Super Eagles Assistant
Coach, Joe Erico on Monday came
down hard on Sunday Oliseh for
his unguided utterances over his
team’s CHAN 2016 first round
ouster.
Reacting to comments credited to
Oliseh in which the Belgium based
Super Eagles manager labelled his
critics as insane persons, Erico,
who in his heyday kept the post
for Nigeria said every man is open
to criticism.
“The job of a coach is one that is
always in the public eye and I don’t
see why he is averse to criticism.
Oliseh was one of the biggest
critics of Stephen Keshi when the
latter was in charge. As a coach,
you are bound to face criticism.
What you do is to take them in
good faith and make use of the
good ones.
“Oliseh went too far in his
comments. It shows that he is not
mature. You don’t insult a whole
nation because people criticised
your team. Criticisms make you a
better manager. There’s no way
everyone would like what you’re
doing with the team and if it
happens, then there is a big
problem.”
The jogo bonito exponent who
had worked with NEPA of Lagos,
Iwuanyawu Nationale of Owerri,
Julius Berger of Lagos etc however
stated that the real problem does
not lie with Oliseh but the system
of Nigeria football.
“Oliseh was not ready for the job
and those calling for a foreign
coach are making a mistake. A
foreign coach is not the solution to
our problem. We have indigenous
coaches who can look
administrators in the eyes and tell
them the truth but they are never
considerd.
“The real problem goes all the way
down to our club sides because
that is where disciple is taught.
Oliseh is toying with his job
because he did criticise other
coaches before now.”
Meanwhile, Oliseh on Monday sent
a letter of apology to the Nigeria
Football Federation (NFF) after his
recent attacks on the federation as
well as his perceived critics.
Nigeria failed to reach the
knockout stage of CHAN 2016
leading to speculations over the
future of Oliseh as Eagles coach.
Oliseh in turn fired back, saying his
team was not motivated to go
farther in the competition in
Rwanda.
He also took timeout to fire salvos
at “insane” critics, particularly his
former international teammates,
who he claimed have been most
unfair to him with their attacks in
the media.
A close source to the Eagles coach
disclosed: “Oliseh has just sent a
letter apologising for his
utterances and actions.
“He said he is sorry, that he never
wanted to attack the NFF or
embarrass them, but rather he
wanted the whole world to know
they have not been given money.
“He also said he has been very
frustrated after the heavy attack on
him and his team after Nigeria’s
exit from CHAN.”
Oliseh’s seven months in charge of
the Eagles have been marked by
controversies.
He fell out with former captain
Vincent Enyeama with striker
Emmanuel Emenike also quitting
international football during that
time.
He has also gone public with the
money problems affecting his team
at CHAN to the embarrassment of
his employers.
Former National Security Adviser
[NSA], Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd),
yesterday lost his battle to stop his
trial on charges of alleged
diversion of N32 billion arms funds
pending before a High Court of the
Federal Capital Territory (FCT),
Abuja. Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf
dismissed his application because
it lacked merit.
In his motion which was argued
by his senior counsel, Joseph
Daudu [SAN], Dasuki had urged the
court to stop the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
from prosecuting him on the said
charges because the agency was
in contempt of a court which
granted him bail on December 18,
2015.
He was re-arrested by the agents
of the Department of State Services
(DSS) on December 29, shortly after
perfecting his bail conditions.
In his ruling, Justice Yusuf held
there are facts that Dasuki was
being held by the DSS and not the
EFCC, therefore, the EFCC cannot be
said to be in contempt of the court
order as alleged by the applicant.
“The law is clear that a contemnor
is the one who the order of court
is directed at, but refuses to
comply with the said order. From
the above, it is clear that if an
order of court is not directed to a
party, such a party or person
cannot be liable for contempt.
“Disobedience of court order is a
serious offence and any party who
disobeys court order should be
punished, if not, it would bring the
court into ridicule and obstruct the
administration of justice and the
nation.
“It is clear that after the applicant
fulfilled his bail conditions, he was
released from prison and if the DSS
re-arrested him thereafter, it
cannot be said to be disobedience
of the order of this court because
this court did not make any order
stopping the security agencies
from re-arresting him.
“The first defendant is in the
custody of the DSS which is a
different organization from the
EFCC. Although they are all federal
agencies, the act of one cannot be
attributed to another. So, the
argument of counsel to the first
defendant does not impress me.
They have separate functions and
leadership and did not operate in a
relationship that is ascribed to
them by counsel to the first
defendant,” he said.
The judge ruled that the only
option open to the former NSA
was to file necessary suit against
the DSS which he described as a
“stranger’ in line with section 46
of the 1999 Constitution for the
enforcement of his right to liberty.
Dasuki filed the motion with
respect to the 19 counts of
diversion of the arms funds for
which he is being prosecuted
along with a former Director of
Finance and Administration, Office
of the National Security Adviser,
Shuaibu Salisu.
The other co-accused are, a former
General Manager, Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),
Aminu Babakusa and two
companies – Acacia Holdings
Limited and Reliance Referral
Hospital Limited. The ex-NSA,
through his lawyer, Mr. Joseph
Daudu (SAN), has also filed the
same application dated January 11,
2016, before Justice Peter Affen of
the same Maitama Division of FCT
High Court.
A senior operative of the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) is now telling an
investigative team of the
commission in Abuja, all he knows
about his alleged illicit deals with
some politicians being probed by
the anti-graft agency.
The operative was said to have
been arrested over alleged bribery
by one of the politicians under
investigation.
His interrogation came barely one
week after another operative was
picked for allegedly collecting
money from some military officers
under probe.
Sources said the latest suspect in
the bribe scandal rocking the
commission had struck a deal with
a politician from one of the
northern States to tamper with the
case file of a matter in court with
the intention to either weaken the
agency’s case against the suspects
or remove the file.
However, the deal, which had been
sealed, was said to have been
blown up by some operatives, who
had been detailed to monitor the
suspect’s unusual movements and
phone calls.
It was gathered that one of the
agency’s unit heads, secretly placed
the operative under surveillance
until he was arrested few days
ago.
Some incriminating items were
said to have been recovered
before and after a raid on his
residence by a team of the
commission’s detectives.
The team was said to have
uncovered other “unbecoming
acts” of the suspect, including his
contacts with some politicians in
other parts of the country.
Spokesman of the EFCC, Mr Wilson
Uwujaren, could not be reached
for comments.
Meanwhile natives of the nation’s
capital, Abuja, have asked EFCC to
immediately arrest the immediate-
past minister of FCT, Senator Bala
Mohammed, and top officials of the
Abuja Geographic Information
System (AGIS) and Federal Capital
Development Authority (FCDA),
following Senate’s revelations that
they illegally allocated land to their
cronies in green areas within
Maitama district extension of
Abuja.
In a statement issued yesterday,
the umbrella body of the natives,
Original Inhabitants Development
Association of Abuja (OIDA), said
“the allocation of land in green
areas meant for natural
conservation and tourism is a
breach of public trust and gross
violation of the Abuja Masterplan
by Bala who coincidentally was
charged with protecting such
lands.”
vangelist Mike Bamiloye, founder of Mount
Zion, a popular Christian drama ministry,
took to Facebook to celebrate his wife,
Gloria on her birthday yesterday, February 4,
2016 with an heartfelt letter.
He also gave an account of the marriage
proposal and the way she accepted it.
I write to Celebrate my Dear “Sister Gloria”
today…
The day I went to propose to her, I never
beat about the bush or rehearsed any Love
persuasive Poem. I never said anything like,
“…the Lord sent me” or ” I felt the Lord is
leading me…” Or ” I dreamed and saw…” Or
“I heard a voice from Heaven that…” I had
said some of those things before to some
sisters whom I thought the Lord was
leading me to, and I was wrong. This time
around, I went to this new sister, after my
usual “Much Prayers and Waiting”. I was not
even sure if the Lord was leading me or not
again….My computers have been crashed
and the memory virused by the previous
disappointments I had met from the sisters I
had thought were the will of God.
So I had arrived the campus and the
brethren were happy to see me. I usually
came at evening time, for Drama rehearsals
or if there were drama outreaches, I would
come to go with them or lead them to the
programs. But this time, I came during the
day, at lecture time and many of the
brethren were coming to me to know why
or what information I had brought for the
Fellowship Drama Unit members. I simply
said I came to see “Sister Shola”. And that
was unusual of me. I don’t come asking for
sisters in the fellowship. I had no business
with sisters, but with Fellowship heads and
with Drama Unit Co-Ordinator in particular
or with the Fellowship President.
So, some brethren spread out to look for
“Sister Shola”. And one sister found her in
the school Library and grabbed her hand:
“Bro. Mike is around. He is looking for you.”
Prior to that time, I had no business with
Sister Shola, we were not close. We had only
acted together on stage presentations
before. She was not among the sisters who
were closer to me at Fellowship. She carried
her books and both sisters were rushing
down to see ” Bro. Mike” who had come to
the campus at unusual time. The sister
brought her and left.
Sister Shola stood before me smiling, and
waiting for the instructions, probably to the
Drama Unit, or information of a her being
cast into a new Drama Unit presentation. I
greeted her. She replied with a smile. I told
her bluntly, that the Holy Spirit had not sent
me, neither did I see any vision.
Then, I asked her: WILL YOU MARRY ME?”
She stood before me speechless for some
minutes, looking at me with some
astonishment and confusion. She was never
never expecting to hear such question from
“Bro. Mike” of all people! She was lost for
words, because it was the last thing she
would expect to hear from me.
I got my answer after one month of waiting.
It was on a Sunday Morning. I had travelled
to ILESHA and decided to worship in her
church. I was in the congregation while I
watch her standing tall and slender above
the rest choir as they sang the special song
for the morning. I never knew she saw me
too. I had been praying for the whole month
that the Lord would confirm this one this
time. I could not imagine how I would feel if
the Lord said this one was not the will of
God again.
After the church service, I went to wait for
her at the front of her house. I just wanted
to greet her again and look at her again,
and maybe the Lord would answer my
prayers this time. She came not so long and
ushered me into the house quietly. She was
quiet. She was not showing any excitement,
which got me more worried again. I sat
down on a chair while she was writing
something on the table. Then, she finished
writing, and she turned to me with a small
piece of paper containing ONE SINGLE LINE
OF SENTENCE:
“I WILL MARRY YOU”.
Silence. Grave Silence came down in the
room. At last. That was the first time in my
life, a lady would agree to marry me. All the
once I thought were the will of God for me
had, unfortunately, been engaged before I
got there. Oh! The Dilemma of a Single
Searching Brother! And one of the Sisters
even kept me waiting for three years,
without giving me a “Yes” or a “No”. Until I
was delivered from the shackles. At last…!
Right there I knelt down in Prayers and she
knelt down in my front with her eyes closed.
There, I told the Lord, as I held her hands in
prayer, that, “Today, Lord, our Ministry have
started. Today, Lord, we shall serve you
together with all our life and with all our
heart.” We prayed further for His help and
Mercy upon us. That was day and time, our
ministry, Mount Zion began. That was
Sunday 4th, August 1985. And She was 21
Years Old then, while I was 25! Is it not
evident that the Lord actually led me? NOW
TODAY, THIS GIRL IS 52!
Nollywood actress, Ini Edo has confirmed
her appointment as Special Adviser on
Tourism to the governor of Akwa Ibom
State.
Posing in her beautiful closet, she wrote:
“To be called to serve is an honour.I give
God all de glory. Am grateful to my state, my
Governor, everyone of you with your
constant prayers and support… God bless us
EX-SUPER Eagles goalkeeper, Peter
Rufai in an interview with
Saturday Sunsports expresses his
feelings on the current form of the
Super Eagles, his perception about
Sunday Oliseh, causes of exit of the
home Eagles in the ongoing CHAN
competition, where he thought the
newly promoted Ikorodu United of
Lagos will be in the forthcoming
Glo Premier League season and
some other issues. Excerpts…
Being one of the most capped
goalkeepers in the history of
Nigeria football, can you share
some of your experiences with
us?
My experiences as a goalkeeper
would have been meaningless
without the help of my teammates.
Although, I had a stint with foreign
clubs like Lokeren of Belgium, Go
Ahead Eagles and Gil Vicente of
Portugal, and I also served as goal
stopper for Hercules and Deportivo
La Coruna of Spain, I gained fame
while I was a kid during my days
at Stationary Stores of Lagos and
defunct Femo Scorpion of Eruwa.
I also learnt some skills from the
likes of Ike Shorunmu, Wilfred
Agbonivbare, my senior man Joe
Erico, Alloy Agu and a host of
others.
As an ex-goalkeeper do you think
the Super Eagles are on the right
track with goalkeeper Carl
Ikeme?
To me, Ikeme is a fantastic
goalkeeper. He got good reflection
but I don’t think he deserves the
number one spot. Everything in life
has a protocol. We got good
goalkeepers who served as an
option after Vincent Enyeama. The
likes of Austin Ejide, Dele
Aiyenugba and host of others are
fantastic goal stoppers but we
have no choice because everything
deals with time and season. During
my days, I sweated to be the first
choice. I got so many senior
colleagues who fought for the
number one glove with me and
when I was picked as the number
one, it was obvious I merited it.
Anything can still happen. Nigerian
coaches are fond of changing
players whenever they get
appointed and I think the likes of
Ejide and other senior goalkeepers
will soon be given a chance.
What do you think were the
causes of the early exit of the
home Eagles in the ongoing CHAN
tournament?
There are so many factors attached
to their early exit. First, I don’t
think the name home base Eagles
is right. Everyone deserves a great
name. Fans have refused to show
love to these players based on
their name. Super Eagles is Super
Eagles; why should people keep
calling them Local boys. Secondly, I
think their level of preparation was
very low. Their head coach joined
them few days before the
tournament, which I think also
affected the guys and lastly; is the
issue of fear factor. Agreed, there
are no more minnows in football
but I think we still deserve some re
spect from smaller teams. The
Guineans brought the game to us
and we decided to settle for less. I
will urge Oliseh to work hard
because the Eagles still got greater
challenges ahead of them.
But do you think Oliseh can
overcome future challenges with
the Super Eagles?
I can’t really say because a team is
as good as its last game. Every
coach who loses his previous
game will certainly be under
pressure to handle the next one. I
am not calling him a failure
because I know coaching a team
like the Super Eagles is like
coaching the whole citizens of
Nigeria. But based on present form
and statistics, I don’t think we can
make it to the next AFCON
tournament in 2017.We have a
game with Egypt, which I consider
a more technically sound side. The
Egyptians know what is at stake.
They have quickly organised some
crucial friendly matches while we
are here with no hope of
organising one. I think the NFF
should put together a short time
programme before our crucial
encounter with the Egyptians.
You just mentioned the NFF, how
will you rate them?
You see, everyone has his or her
way of doing things. Presently, we
all know members of the NFF have
some underground issues with
each other but I don’t think that
can affect the winning mentality of
the boys. If it does, there will be a
big trouble but I know some faces
like Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi and
host of other peacemakers will not
allow that. We are not the only
country facing such tribulation and
I believe with time everything will
be all right.
After a career spanning over 20
years, will you accept a coaching
role if you are offered to coach
the Eagles?
I have the attribute of becoming a
good coach, especially in the area
of training and grooming
goalkeepers. As a matter of fact, I
have a goalkeeping school in Spain
where I teach young ones how to
stop goals. Nigeria is my fatherland
and I will not reject any offer
brought before me. For now, I
don’t think the issue of goalkeep
ing should bother us. We have
talented and fantastic goalkeepers
and I think Alloy Agu is the right
man to handle the boys.
Will you allow any of you kids to
play football?
Yes why not. Football is now a
noble job every one is willing to
do. As a matter of fact, my oldest
son, Senbaty Rufai is also a
footballer and has tried out as a
midfielder for Sunshine Stars of
Akure in Nigeria. During our days
there was no money in football,
but these days it is funny
footballers are now millionaires. If
any of my kids wishes to join the
profession I will surely support
him/ her.
Can you tell us about your
unforgettable days while playing
for the Super Eagles?
I have so many unforgettable days.
The good and the bad. I could
remember the bad day when I
wept bitterly shortly after the game
between Nigeria and Denmark
during the France 1998 World Cup,
where I conceded four goals. I will
also not forget the last minute goal
Italy scored against us at the U.S.A
1994 World Cup. Life is full of ups
and downs. I also remember vividly
the last goal I scored for Nigeria, a
penalty kick in a 6-0 win against
Ethiopia in 1993 and the day we
were crowned AFCON Champion in
Tunisia in 1994.
Lastly, Ikorodu United has just
been promoted to the Nigeria
Premier League, how do you feel
about this?
I’m very happy about the new
development. I see them creating
surprises. They have talented stars
and experienced football
administrators and I will not be
surprised if they can return the lost
glory in Lagos’ football. It’s been a
while we enjoyed good football in
Lagos. I could remember the days
of my team, Stationary Stores, no
one dared us at home and being a
Lagosian it was fun back then. I
pray Ikorodu United restores the lo
st glory of Lagos football.
THE Federal lawmakers
representing Anambra from the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
have officially informed the
National Assembly and the
Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) that they were
never sacked by the Supreme Court
judgment of January 29, 2016.
Consequently they have asked the
two bodies and indeed the public
to ignore the claim by Chief Chris
Uba and eight others that they
have been cleared to take over as
elected federal lawmakers
representing Anambra from the
PDP.
The lawmakers including Senator
Andy Uba and Senator Princess
Stella Oduah, in a statement signed
by their counsel, Mr. Vincent Otaok
pukpu of Chief Arthur Obi Okafor
(SAN) Chambers decried what they
described as the misleading media
reports of the judgment of the
Supreme Court of January 29,
2016.
Media reports, the statement said,
created a picture that the Supreme
Court sacked PDP senators and
other members of the National
Assembly representing Anambra
from PDP and urged the
Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC), the Senate
President, the Speaker of the
House of Representatives and the
public to disregard and ignore the
reports as they were not the
rulings of the apex court.
Maxpels Blog 